Last week, Corey and I were invited to the monthly meeting of VFW Post 1 here in Denver. It marked a transition of sorts: the end of developing a very exciting project, and the beginning of putting that exciting project "out there."

Let me explain. [pause] No, there is too much. Let me sum up:

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1 (yes, that would be the first-ever and oldest VFW post in the world), located in the Sante Fe arts district of Denver, asked us to create a commemorative sculpture to honor Coloradans who gave their lives while serving in the military during World War I.

If you've forgotten your history, the United Stated entered WWI on April 6, 1917 -- one hundred years ago.

The Colorado Columbine is our state flower.

The Furnace teamed up with Post 1 Foundation to create the Remembrance Columbine: a limited-edition line of sculpted flowers, each adorned with the name of one Coloradan who served--and perished--during WWI.

All the proceeds from sales of these sculptures go to the Post 1 Foundation Capital Campaign, a fundraising project in support of VFW Post 1's mission to provide a variety of much-needed programs to former servicemen and women, including art and art therapy, 1-1 mentoring, job preparation, health and wellness programs and much more.

Last spring, the City of Westminster (CO) parks and rec department had a fun idea: a mystical creature might take up residence in Standley Lake, the centerpiece of the 2000+ acre Standley Lake Regional Park. She might even lay some unique eggs. Blown-glass eggs. And every now and again, she might deposit a small pile of rainbow poo. Also made of glass. Her name, appropriately enough, would be The Standley Monster. Not to be confused with the Loch Ness Monster who, to our knowledge, does not lay glass eggs or leave behind rainbow glass poo.

​When the City of Westminster called about the project, we loved the idea. I mean really: monster eggs! Not to mention rainbow poo! How fun would that be to make? And what a great way to encourage people to get out and be active in the park!

The #StandleyMonster is back again in 2017, laying eggs along the Big Dry Creek Trail between Standley Lake and City Park. If you find an egg--or rainbow poo--it's yours to keep. And while you're welcome to visit our hotshop to see glassblowing in action, the only way to get your hands on a monster egg/rainbow poo is to hit the trail and join the treasure hunt.

Here's a "behind the scenes" video from the City of Westminster telling more about the project:​